Thanksgiving IX ~

29 May - 4 June:  In the past week, I have been thankful that a "second April" (with all the showers, even snow that hasn't stayed long!) is almost gone - the near constant rain and darkened skies are wearing for one who's spent most of her life in the southwest; I was thankful for a wonderful visit with a former pastor (and dear friend) with his sister, who stopped by after delivering a message from the Word at our church home in Grangeville; thankful for the assurance from Psalm 103:17-18 where this is written: "... From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children—with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts." (NIV); thankful for those who - over the years - have considered liberty of such great value that they have given all to preserve it; thankful for the many others who have come home after serious injuries to take up their lives in new ways; thankful for the message found in Psalm 56:3-4: ". . . When I am afraid, I will put my confidence in You. Yes, I will trust the promises of God. And since I am trusting Him, what can mere man do to me?" (TLB); thankful for the little blessings that come to me day after day - scents of life and love; thankful to be with family instead of in an impersonal living space of some kind, isolated from all that's familiar; thankful for this wonderful promise from God's Word: "... The Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, NIV); thankful for another day the weatherman was NOT forecasting rain - April showers are lasting way too long!  I was thankful for rest in the night, when sleep wouldn't come; thankful as I perused this promise from Revelation 21:2-3 where it is written: : "... I saw the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride on her wedding day, adorned for her husband and for His eyes only. And I heard a great voice, coming from the throne. ... [The voice said] 'See, the home of God is with His people. He will live among them; they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them.'" (VOICE); thankful for a D.D.'s courage in confronting her mom with a troublesome issue and a possible solution; thankful that our Father knows, and can show us, solutions for life's little problems - and the bigger ones as well; thankful as I read this assurance from Hebrews 9:28 where it is written: "... The Anointed One, our Liberating King, was offered once in death to bear the sins of many and will appear a second time, not to deal again with sin, but to rescue those who eagerly await His return." VOICE); thankful for the rest and sleep that refreshes me for a new day; thankful for the assurance of being forgiven when I stumble and fall into temptation; thankful for all the "exceeding great and precious promises" I find in God's Word, as this one tells us: "By His divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the One who called us by His own honor and glory. Through His honor and glory He has given us His precious and wonderful promises, that you may share the divine nature and escape from the world’s immorality that sinful craving produces." (2 Peter 1:3-4; Common English Bible); thankful to see another Sabbath, the weekly reminder that we are here by His grace, by His wonderful love for humanity, and He has given us rest (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11; Hebrews 4:8-9); I was thankful that God has promised all who believe and yield to His ways will find a place in His kingdom; and thankful to confirm these words of praise from 1 Chronicles 29:11 where we read: "Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours...." (NIV).